Central but not peripheral fat mass percentage is associated with blood pressure components in the elderly

Abstract

Background: the human body composition changes with advances in age. Particularly, the central fat amount increases. Because the central fat mass is a cardiovascular risk factor, we investigated whether in an elderly population, fat mass (measured at different bodily locations) is associated with peripheral and central blood pressure components.

Methods: cross-sectional design. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), fat mass was measured within a geriatric outpatient clinic population. Blood pressure was measured with an oscillometric device, and aortic blood pressure and augmentation index (AIx) were obtained by radial artery tonometry, using the SphygmoCor system. Multivariate adjustment for confounders was performed using linear regression analyses.

Results: totally, 216 subjects were included (age 77.3 years ± 6.1, 34.7% male). The truncal fat mass percentage, but not the peripheral fat mass percentage, was positively associated with the peripheral systolic blood pressure (SBP) [beta 0.07 (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.11)] and the peripheral pulse pressure (PP) [beta 0.07 (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.11)], but negatively with the peripheral diastolic blood pressure (DBP) [beta -0.16 (95% CI -0.27 to -0.04)]. The truncal fat mass percentage was similarly associated with estimated aortic blood pressure components, but no association was found between the truncal fat mass percentage and the AIx.

Conclusion: in older persons, the truncal fat mass percentage as a reflection of the central fat mass percentage, but not the peripheral fat mass percentage is associated with peripheral and aortic blood pressure components.